The ubiquity of computers and like devices has resulted in digital data proliferation. Although originally the sole domain of well-funded companies and research institutions, technology advancements and cost reductions over time have enabled computers to become commonplace in the lives of most everyone. Individuals interact with a plurality of computing devices daily including work/school computers, home computers, laptops and mobile devices such as phones, personal digital assistants, media players and/or hybrids thereof. Consequently, an enormous quantity of digital data is generated each day including messages, documents, pictures, music, video, etc. Such data is of minimal use unless quality information can be extracted/isolated and/or organized in a manner that facilitates expeditious retrieval.
Automated mechanisms are a standard approach to facilitate location of valuable information. More specifically, conventional algorithms and/or machine learning techniques are employed. For example, a web crawler (a.k.a. spider, robot) comprises automated scripts that browse the World Wide Web (web) in a methodical manner capturing copies of web pages along the way. The captured pages can then be utilized to generate an index that a search engine can use to return relevant results. Such automated mechanisms can also be employed in a variety of other ways such to aid identification of undesired, unsolicited bulk messages known as spam, among other things.
While conventional automated mechanisms seek to replicate human reasoning to classify and organize data, some tasks/activities still require or are more accurate with input from humans. Consider images problems, for example. Technologies have not yet advanced to a point where computers can accurately identify elements within pictures or images. Unfortunately, humans are unlikely to be very interested in providing required data.
One solution to this dilemma leverages people's affinity for computer games. Online games provide a mechanism to collect information from human beings by engaging them in an interactive game.